What happened
The United States has withdrawn all its forces from Iraq, marking the end of a 23-year military presence in the country. The final US troops and equipment departed Erbil Air Base in the northeastern Kurdish region, according to War Department Spokesman Sean Parnell. This concludes Operation Inherent Resolve, a 12-year anti-ISIS mission that began in response to the jihadi insurgency in Iraq.
The withdrawal is the result of a deal with Baghdad reached in September 2024. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi celebrated the development, saying it marked the successful conclusion of the international effort to combat ISIS. He thanked the US forces and other members of the international coalition for their support.
The US withdrawal comes as Iraq faces ongoing security challenges, including the presence of Iran-backed militias. The prime minister has made disarmament a priority, but it remains a contentious issue. The militias have retained their formations and become a parallel state, and some have issued threats against the government.
The US had maintained a sizable presence in Iraq to ensure that ISIS did not reclaim the advantage and to keep the Iran-backed militias in check. However, the US bases came under repeated attack from these militias, and the withdrawal was seen as a necessary step to reduce the vulnerability of US forces.
